Governor’s rule imposed in Jammu and Kashmir (Lead)

Srinagar, July 10 (IANS) The Jammu and Kashmir assembly was dissolved late Thursday and the governor’s rule was imposed in the state after the vaccum created by Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad’s resignation. Governor N.N. Vohra issued a proclamation in exercise of powers conferred by Section 92 of the constitution of Jammu and Kashmir and assumed with immediate effect all the functions of the state government.

According to a Raj Bhavan spokesman, the governor also dissolved the legislative assembly in exercise of the powers conferred upon him by Section 53(2)(b) of the constitution of Jammu and Kashmir.

The spokesman said that after the acceptance of resignations of Azad and his council of ministers, the governor initiated a consultative process and met leaders of various political parties and groups in the assembly to arrive at a firm assessment whether any of the parties or groups were inclined and could join hands to form a stable government.

He added that based on the conclusion that no group or party was in a position to or willing to form the government, Vohra sought the concurrence of the president of India for issuance of a proclamation to enforce the governor’s rule.

Azad had resigned ahead of a trust vote Monday, creating a political crisis.

The trust vote was necessitated as the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) withdrew from the Congress-led coalition government following their differences over the land allotment to the Amarnath shrine board.